Top Six!

In a recent interview Alex Baumann - Executive Director of the Own the Podium program said that he would like to see Canada finish in the top six at the Summer Olympics. http://www.troymedia.com/?p=9257. This blogger agrees and goes a step further than does Baumann by saying that Canada has the ability to fullfil this lofty goal.

The Secret? Follow the path to success of Canada's Winter Olympic program.

Contrary to the belief of many - Canada's Winter Olympic program has not always been successful. In fact in the 1970's and early 1980's Canada Winter and Summer Olympic programs were following similar paths of futility. In fact at the 1984 Winter Olympics Canada won 3 Olympic medals. Today, Canada's winter athletes are among the most celebrated and recognized in the entire world winning a record 14 Olympic gold medals in Vancouver by following a simple but proven three point plan.

1) Creation of a Sport Institute - Canada may not have won Olympic gold in 1988 but the Calgary Olympics left an indeliable legacy on Canada's Winter Olympic Program. The Games led to the creation of a Winter Sports Institute where all of Canada's Winter Sport Organizations are now based in Calgary. No wonder then that 13 of the 26 Olympic medals that Canada won in Vancouver were won by athletes living and or training in Calgary. Unfortunately, no such facility exists for Canada's Summer Sport Organizations. Today Canada's Summer Sporting bodies are in locales all across this country.

2) Partnerships. Canada's Winter Sport Organizations have created partnerships with a number of agencies in Calgary who have greatly assisted in the success of Canada's Winter Athletes. For example - Speed Skating Canada has partnerships with the Canadian Sport Centre - Calgary who assists in providing the organization with nutritional services, life services, regeneration facilities and so forth. The partnerships don't end there. Speed Skating Canada works hand and hand with the Olympic Oval in Calgary who assists with coaching and development. And then there is the University of Calgary who assists with funding and many other related matters. With the implementation of the Own the Podium program, partnerships within Canada's Summer Sport Organizations are improving - in certain sports - but they still have a long way to go.

3) Be inclusive not exclusive. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Canada's Winter Athletes won medals in 10 of 15 disciplines. In Vancouver our athletes won medals in 9 of 15 Olympic disciplines. Meanwhile when it comes to the Summer Olympics Canada's sporting leaders want to focus on improving medal winning opportunities in a select few sports. The fact is that if Canada wants to finish in the top 6 at a Summer Olympiad it needs to win medals in a number of different Olympic disciplines.

Canada's Winter Sports organizations proved that Canada can finish in the top 6 of a Summer Olympics. Lets just hope they follow their lead.